Kellermeyer opens new Lowcountry Cage Fitness location

Jasper and Beaufort County residents can welcome a new fitness trend just in time for summer.

Combining mixed martial arts to a routine workout has become popular in the exercise realm, causing Nick Kellermeyer to move his Lowcountry Cage Fitness center to a more centralized location.

Kellermeyer hopes to reach more people with a gym on Short Cut Road.

Not only is he a full-time Hardeeville firefighter, but he is also working to become a certified personal trainer through the American Council on Exercise. While studying different workout programs, he came across Ultimate Fighting Champion Matt Hughes’ cage fitness workout.

“The program is centered on five, five-minute rounds, much like UFC is,” Kellermeyer said. “It stands out because it’s not like your typical cross-fit or personal trainer workout in Bluffton or Hilton Head. That’s why I decided to offer it.”

The four key elements Cage Fitness focuses on are endurance, strength, power and core. Within the five rounds, there are about seven to 10, 45-second exercises. With the use of a weighted dummy bag, participants can chose their own limits and pace, Kellermeyer said.

While he only has nine bags available at his center, he plans to add more as interest grows.

Kellermeyer isn’t running the classes by himself, though. Fellow Bluffton firefighter and high school friend Mike Tuten will balance his schedule with the fire department to teach at Lowcountry Cage Fitness.

After practicing MMA for more than 25 years, Tuten will be teaching Sogo Goshin-Do, a mixed martial art that focuses on street effectiveness and self-defense.

“We’re expecting to get a solid base built through Nick’s passion for martial arts and fit lifestyle,” Tuten said. “We’re going to try to break the idea of the typical Japanese style and teach how to defend and not be so stylistic and rigid. Anyone can do this. It doesn’t matter what fitness level because we’ll customize it to that person.”

Age plays no factor in Sogo Goshin-Do, or cage fitness. At Kellermeyer’s grand opening March 9, his 7-year-old son participated along with his 68-year-old dad.

“The best thing is that everyone works at their own pace. While it is a group class, it is individualized,” he said. “Whether you’re a senior or a 22-year-old military guy, the program targets the upper and lower body, core but at your own level. We don’t focus on size, age or strength; instead, we target good technique.”

As the Hardeeville Fire Department continues its health and fitness initiative for the year, Kellermeyer encourages his firefighters to participate in his program even though he has moved to his new location.

“They all love it. ... Some are mad that I’ve moved and they ask me to bring the bags back to the station so they can work out,” he said. “But we’ve all become more health-conscious. We just had our first assessment this month and we’re amazed by the results. ... So many fire fatalities are from health problems. That’s why we’re doing the health fitness initiative.”

Kellermeyer said the biggest reward from finishing a cage fitness class is being able to do day-to-day activities without being out of breath.

“Everybody wants to prepare for their summer beach bod, and you’ll get that long term, but the best is being able to play with your kids or climb the stairs without being winded,” he said.